The severity of cystic fibrosis may cause signs and symptoms to vary from one child to another. As time passes, the disease and its complications may improve or worsen. The age of onset of symptoms also may vary from child to child. For some, symptoms may appear at infancy, whereas, for other children, symptoms may not begin until after puberty or even later in life.

One of the first signs is a strong salty taste to the skin. This is the result of higher levels of salt present in the sweat. Parents of children with cystic fibrosis have mentioned tasting this saltiness when kissing their children.

Other signs and symptoms of cystic fibrosis result from complications that affect lungs, pancreas, liver, and other glandular organs.

Respiratory Problems

Continuous cough, wheezing, recurrent pneumonia and sinusitis, are some of the respiratory complications of cystic fibrosis. This is due to thick and viscous mucous, which chokes the trachea or bronchi that carry the air through the lungs. Other symptoms related to the lungs and sinuses include fatigue or nasal congestion caused by nasal polyps.

Digestive Problems

Channels that carry the enzymes produced by the pancreas to the small intestine can be blocked by thick mucous. Without these digestive enzymes, your intestine can’t absorb necessary proteins, carbohydrates, fats, oils, and minerals from your food. Among other complications, this produces oily stools that smell bad, slows down growth, makes the abdomen bigger from constipation, and causes nausea, loss of appetite, and intestinal blockage particularly in newborns in the first 24 to 48 hours after birth.

Later in Life

Symptoms that may appear later in life include recurrent swelling and tenderness of the pancreas (also known as pancreatitis), or respiratory symptoms. (Written by Abdul Wadood Mohamed and Matthew Solan
Reviewed on July 25, 2012 by George Krucik, MD)